


Reunions and Opportunities

by neverdidnoharm



Category: The Venture Bros
Genre: 21 may be developing PTSD, Action/Adventure, Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Drama, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Mental Health Issues, Mention of Death, Mentions of PTSD, Other, Reader is comic book geek, Reader-Insert, Romance, Violence, idk how to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-05-26 01:30:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6218335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverdidnoharm/pseuds/neverdidnoharm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Both of you weren't the most popular in high school.<br/>It would make sense that you both would be dreading the reunion.</p><p>Little did you know how many doors would open after that.<br/>[Reader x Henchman 21/Gary]<br/>[The Venture Bros.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first work on AO3!  
> I was previously on Lunaescence (as Tsundere) but since there isn't a big following (or even a category) for many of the fandoms I want to write for now and since AO3 seems more accessible overall, I'll be moving here probably permanently.  
> I'll slowly be moving my works on Lunaescence to here!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter - there needs to be more Henchman 21/Gary love cause the man has been through a lot and is super lovable.
> 
> (also trying -sort of- to keep in canon with the show's current season - may veer off track at times)

You sucked in your stomach, trying to squeeze yourself into a strapless little black dress. Hopping into the skin-tight material, you huffed, adjusting the front of your dress to cover up your breasts. Blinking in surprise at the nice amount of cleavage the dress had given you, you quickly checked the time on your phone. 'Fuck... I really don't want to go to this.' You thought to yourself, taking a seat in front of your vanity and making sure the [h/c] curls on your head were in place. 

The day had come for you to face the peers you had honestly forgotten about once you stepped foot into college. You had no real bullies, you didn't carry any drama with you from high school - but that was because you were a wallflower all through out high school. 

You were a bit too bookish to really fit into the popular crowd. Freshman year, you had joined a comic book club but when the guy that ran it left all of a sudden and most of the guys who took over were quite alienating towards the girls in the club, you left promptly. You made acquaintances obviously due to projects and assignments, but you never really morphed into any real clique after sophomore year. 

No sleepovers, parties, hangouts. 

No dances, soc-hops, pep rallies. 

Hell, you were pretty sure they almost forgot about you in the yearbook.  
School, work and home was your routine for those four tedious years. 

"At least, no one will bother you... just get in there, drink to get the nerves out, make small talk if anyone approaches you and get out." You mutter to yourself, applying your lipstick carefully.  
\-- 

"What the hell do you mean you can't help me arch tonight?" Gary winced at his leader's sharp and harsh tone, rubbing the back of his neck. Ever since the Monarch had lost all of his henchman and the Cocoon, and his wife had more pressing issues to deal with in terms of the Guild, Gary or Henchman 21 was left to join the Monarch on his escapades to arch Dr. Venture. 

However, tonight, he ditched his henchman outfit and wings and put on a suit to attend his high school reunion. 

"Why the hell are you going to your stupid high school reunion, 21? I'm sure it's just going to be a bunch of popular kids who fucking peaked in their teenager years and need this night to be validated. Besides, those pricks probably picked on you too and that's a whole can of worms you do not want to open back up." The Monarch scoffed, waving his hand dismissively as he propped his legs up on the table. 

Gary questioned why he even wanted to go too. He missed out on most of his high school years after being kidnapped to join the Monarch at age fifteen. Sure, he got his GED but none of it involved being around the people he had to see tonight. 

"I dunno, I missed out on a lot of high school since I left to become a henchman. I didn't go to prom or any dance. I figured I would make up for lost time. Besides, half those idiots there wouldn't try and mess with me now." Gary shrugged, adjusting his tie and dusting off his suit jacket. 

The Monarch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Alright, I'll let you have this, 21, but all of tomorrow we are doing reconnaissance on Dr. Venture! My wife is out of town for some stupid Guild conference and since she's still pissed at me because that whole Wide Wale party escapade, I'm not going." 

Gary nodded and saluted to his boss before heading out the door. 

'Just get in there, drink to get the nerves out, make small talk if anyone approaches you and get out.' He muttered to himself as he hailed a taxi.


	2. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I cranked out another chapter after such positive responses from everyone!
> 
> I'm glad to hear there are some Venture Brothers fans out there and I hope to put out more fairly soon. So here's the next chapter to hold you off till then!
> 
> Enjoy!

Your face scrunched up as you took a sip of the punch, immediately pouring out the drink back into the bowl and tossing the cup. “You think after getting out of high school, they would serve quality drunks and not spiked punch that tastes like peppermint schnapps [1].” You sigh, running a hand through your hair.

As you had expected, you were still a wallflower. No one had approached you or even noticed you were there. They even stopped out at the door, not believing that you went to school there until you showed them the invitation, told them your name and presented a drivers license.

“Well, this turned out to be a drag…” You mutter, crossing your arms and leaning against the gym bleachers. Your [e/c] orbs observed your surroundings: everyone had yet again separated into cliques, seemingly discussing how their lives have been since graduation aside from the jocks and preps reminiscing in the glory days, already wasted from the spiked punch.

Gary began to wander around the gymnasium, already having made small talk with a few guys that remembered him from comic book club although it was difficult to identify him as he had clearly bulked up and gotten fit since his high school days.   
He was relieved at least someone had taken over after he left though he was bit disappointed to here how much the club had derailed from his original vision. 

As he continued to make his way around the entirety of the compact gym, he stopped in his tracks as you came into his line of vision. His eyes took in how the dress clung to your body, accentuating every curve you had. He gulped, not having been this attracted to someone since Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.

However, after snapping out of his fixation on your body, he noticed you were all alone. ‘Huh, that’s odd… figured someone as gorgeous as her would be with them.’ He thought to himself, his eyes gazing over at the preps. He bit his lip, wondering if he should approach you.

‘Come on, you idiot. She’s all alone, now’s the perfect chance to swoop in!’ The voice of Henchman 24 echoed in his head. Gary rolled his eyes, ‘Oh my god, will you ever leave me alone?’ The echoing voice persisted, ‘Maybe I will if you make a move.’ 

Gary sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering under his breath, “Fine, fine…” He took a deep breath and approached you with a nervous smile. “Hey… thought you were looking lonely. Did your friends not show up to the reunion?”

You freeze as soon as Gary approaches you, not ready to make conversation given how sober you are currently. Your eyes quickly darted to the side, “No … I’m… really not close to anyone here to be honest.” You admitted, pushing a stray piece of hair behind your ear and shrugging. 

Gary’s eyes widened at your response. He thought to himself, ‘Damn seriously? I thought she would be surrounded by people right now.’ He chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. “Honestly, I don’t know anyone really here too. I dropped out like sophomore year… just know a few guys from comic book club when I used to run it.”

Your eyes lit up a bit and your gaze went immediately snapped towards Gary. “Wait… you were the one that ran comic book club that year? Oh my god, I remember you. You honestly made that club amazing and it kinda went downhill once you left. Most of the guys got super fixated on 'indie' comics and forgot about the classics. I kind of left after you weren't around... they kind of ostracized the girls that tried to stay.” 

His eyes widened and he looked quite taken aback. You quickly noticed and bit your lip, ‘Shit... I just geeked out on this complete stranger…’ You quickly apologized, “S-Sorry, if that freaked you out.” 

Gary quickly snapped out of his state of shock and shook his head, “Oh no, no! I’m just shocked that you were a part of comic book club. I kind of don’t remember a lot from that year so sorry if I don't remember your name. Honestly... I can't believe I didn't notice someone as pretty as you back then...” He admitted, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. He quickly put out his hand, smiling awkwardly, “I’m Gary, pleased to make your acquaintance, m’lady.” 

A pink blush spread across your cheeks and you giggled softly at his quirkiness, “Pleased to make your acquaintance as well, I’m [y/n].” You took his hand and gave it a firm shake. 

Gary held onto your hand and smiled back at you, “It’s kind of getting stuffy and crowded in here and I really don’t want to yell over this music just to talk to you. Wanna ditch this lame thing and grab something to eat? My treat.” You nod eagerly, a wide grin across your face. His expression brightens as he takes you by the hand out of the stuffy gymnasium.

‘Maybe coming to this lame reunion wasn’t such a bad idea.’ Both of you thought as you got into your car and headed towards the nearest diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] - Reference to line in Operation P.R.O.M: for all my Venture Bros. fans caught up by now, see if you remember who said something like this?


	3. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so here's the next chapter!
> 
> I kind of decided to take the story down another path I had originally intended but I hope you enjoy where it's going so far. Let me know!
> 
> Thanks for the support and feedback guys, it has really helped motivate me to write again!
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] - Reference to Game of Thrones

A few hours had passed since Gary had directed you two to a small diner a few minutes away from your old high school and you two had been hitting off, discussing comics, cracking jokes, and just enjoying each other’s company.

 

“Wait, you dropped your entire first paycheck on a replica of the Lord of the Rings sword?” You chuckled as you stirred around the little bit of [flavor] milkshake you had left. He laughed along with you, putting his hands up, “Okay, in my defense, I was going through a very passionate Lord of the Rings phase and it was my own money okay!”

 

You giggled, your elbows propped up on the table as you interlock your fingers before propping your chin atop them. “That must’ve been a huge chunk of money then you got to afford a pretty accurate replica of that. What do you do for living?”

 

Gary froze quickly as he was sipping on his soda when you asked that question. ‘Shit. She can’t know about me being a henchman… she’ll probably think I’m bat shit crazy or be weirded out a bit. Fuck but I can’t lie to her… okay, Gary. You just gotta embellish a little… stretch the truth.’ He thought to himself.

 

You blinked as he froze for quite a while and leaned over the table, waving a hand in front of his face, “Hello? Earth to Gary?” you teased. He quickly snapped out of it and nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, “S-Sorry about that, spaced out for a bit there.”

 

“W-Well, it’s kind of hard to explain my job, I guess. I kinda do odd jobs and favors for this guy who is a part of this powerful company.” Gary stuttered out, trying to figure out how to even explain what he did for the Monarch.

 

‘I mean… it isn’t a lie… the Monarch makes me do stuff like reconnaissance to watching Game of Thrones with him… plus the Guild is a powerful company in a sense… well, it was, not so sure about now.’ He thought to himself, cursing a bit for not thinking up a better explanation.

 

Your eyebrows rose a bit at his job description but you figured it wasn’t the weirdest thing you’d heard someone do for a career. Besides, the new job was kind of like that, being a secretary and all. You smiled and put your hand on top of his, making his face heat up visibly. You giggled and smiled, “I totally understand, Gary… no need to be embarrassed.”

 

He let out a sigh of relief and smiled, his expression softening at your touch. His eyes glanced over at the clock, seeing it read: _3 AM_. ‘Shit, I have to go early morning reconnaissance with the Monarch tomorrow..’ he thought. You noticed his reaction and chuckled, “Getting past your bed time I’m guessing?” you tease.

 

Gary grins sheepishly and nods, “Yeah, sorry about that.” You shake your head and chuckle, “No, no, it’s fine. I start my first day of work tomorrow anyways so I should head out to. I can drive you home, just give me the directions.” You stand up and grab your coat, beckoning for Gary to follow you.

 

He quickly gets up, following you out with a grin on his face.

 

\--

 

Soon after you dropped him off, Gary collapsed on the couch with a pleased smile across his face. You two had exchanged numbers and had arranged to meet up some time soon when it was convenient for both of you.

 

He scrambled for his phone when he felt it vibrate and a huge grin spread across his face as he saw you had texted him:

 

‘thanks for an amazing night. let’s explore the city sometime, okay? good night, sleep tight! (: ’

**_From: [Name]_ **

 

‘God, she’s like perfect… but I can’t rush this… what if she just wants to be friends…? Shit, I didn’t even consider that..’ His expression twisted into worry before he was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden light turning on.

 

“You’re home late. Jeez, did you get lost on the way home or something?” The Monarch muttered, wearing a robe and slippers, clearly awoken by Gary coming back.

 

Gary sighed, “Sorry about that… I.. actually met someone there.” The Monarch’s wild eyebrows rose quickly and he quickly blinked, “Are you kidding…? You’re kidding, right?” Gary shot his leader a glare which The Monarch put his hands up in defense, “Okay, okay, jeez… so did you nail her?” He grinned with a playful tone.

 

The henchman bit down on his lower lip, thinking about how that dress clung to your curves, how you bit your lip playfully and your cleavage would dip a little lower when you leaned over to take a sip of your milkshake. The Monarch caught that and chuckled, “Oh… I know that look. You wanted to but you didn’t, huh?”

 

Gary sighed, shaking his head, “It’s not just that she was hot… cause she was super gorgeous. She was literally… just amazing. She literally has the grace and intelligence of Khaleesi [1] but she’s like super nerdy and dorky like me.”

 

The Monarch’s eyebrows shot up at the description and he grinned, “If you can pick up a woman like that, looks like my woman wooing charm is rubbing off on you. I have taught you well, 21!”

 

The henchman sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as at the Monarch began to ramble on about him teaching 21 of the ways of love and woman wooing,

 

“Please stop talking.”

 

\--

Having taken a shower and changed into sleeping clothing, you dried your hair in front of the mirror at your vanity. You unlocked your phone and smiled, seeing that Gary had replied to your text:

 

‘it would be an honor to see you again, m’lady. good luck with your first day of work tomorrow! good night, sleep tight.’

**_From: Gary_ **

 

You giggled, seeing he had copied your good night message at the end of your text. After setting out your uniform for the next day, you slipped under the covers and quickly fell asleep

 

Your phone illuminated part of the room as a reminder notification flashed from your new boss:

 

“Be at the Guild meeting by 10am. Make sure to wear your new uniform.”

**_From: Dr. Mrs. The Monarch_ **


	4. First Day on the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cranked out this chapter after pulling an all-nighter so hope you all enjoy!
> 
> I'm so happy that some of you are feeling inspired enough to make 21/Reader stories of your own and I'm so excited about that!
> 
> Gotta spread that 21 love!
> 
> Enjoy!

Your alarm blared, echoing through your room and waking you from your slumber. You abruptly shot up, groaning and sighing as you run a hand through your tousled hair.

 

Begrudgingly, you got up, getting ready for your first day of work. Checking your phone, you saw your boss’ reminder, smiling to yourself. Sure, she had high expectations but you knew she had your best interest in mind all the time.

 

She wanted you to succeed and you knew that from the moment you met her.

 

You had previously been working for quite a while under Wide Wale as his secretary of sorts as well as a bodyguard for his daughter, Serena Ong, when she tired of the obnoxious burly men dressed as whale lice following her around and needed some girl company.

 

However, as much as you loved Serena and knew you lived quite the cushy lifestyle working under Wide Wale, you had to admit you were tired being surrounded with the testosterone of the male bodyguards, the lack of respect you got from them due to the fact that you were a female and Wide Wale’s sometimes old-fashioned way of approaching arching and villainy.

 

Wide Wale was not a fool; after working for him for quite a while, he knew you almost as well as he knew his daughter. So that’s why he immediately connected you with Dr. Mrs. the Monarch after making a deal with the Guild – he knew that you wanted a new perspective and more freedom and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch had expressed interest in having a henchman of sorts, similar to how 21 was with the Monarch.

 

You two hit it off right away and she immediately hired you to work under her in helping rebuild the Guild to its former state and glory.

 

After stepping out of the shower, you quickly dried your hair and applied a bit of makeup before slipping on your Guild uniform - a black and red button-up jacket with gold buttons, a pair of black, knee high stockings, and black, platform heel boots. You clipped on your gun-holster onto your thigh and slipped your pistol into the holster.

 

Straightening out your outfit, you grabbed your keys and phone, grinning as you got a text from Gary:

 

‘hey good luck with your first day on the job. (:’

**_From: Gary_ **

 

You smiled softly but sighed a bit, feeling guilty. Gary seemed to be such a sweet guy, a perfect mixture of dorky and caring. You could see yourself possibly becoming serious with him. But you feared dragging him into this life with the Guild you were becoming more and more involved into.

 

Shaking your head, you pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind and got into your car, heading into the city for the Guild meeting.


	5. Business Meetings and Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, I've been super busy with school this past week but to make up for it, I cranked out a longer chapter!
> 
> For those of you who were disappointed by the lack of 21 in the last chapter, he is back again.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The Council of 13 was currently convening at the new headquarters of the Guild. You had attended several meetings with the new Council of 13 but over hologram with Dr. Mrs. the Monarch. Most of the time, you stayed silent and took down notes for your husky voiced boss, still learning the ropes and getting used to working with other villains outside of Wide Wale. 

However, this was your first meeting in person, meeting up with the task force chosen from the Council of 13 to tackle the Blue Morpho problem, dubbed the 5.5. Your eyebrows rose inquisitively at the name and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch simply sighed, “The point five account for Watch and Ward… they’re technically not Council members.” She gestured over to the two Guild Agents who were sitting at a kiddy table in the corner.

Quite confused, you began heading over to the kiddy table, “I guess I’ll join them since I’m not either.” The dark haired villainess grabbed your hand, “You really don’t have to-“ You shook your head and offered a smile, “It’s alright, Dr. Mrs. the Monarch. It’s only fair to them.”

You took a seat next to Watch and Ward, quickly watching the scene turn from civility to chaos before you as the Council members argued back and forth with each other while Ward desperately tried to get their attention about having old Guild records. Nudging Watch who stayed silent through out the debacle, you muttered, “Are they always like this?” Watch sighed, “More times than not… welcome to the Guild.”

Your expression changed from disbelief to disgust as Dr. Z began to detail his sexual acts he did with a disguised Blue Morpho. Your boss saw this and gave you a sympathetic look, pinching the bridge of her nose as she listened as well. As he wrapped up his spiel, you cleared your throat. All eyes snapped towards you.

“If I may… I began doing some intelligence work with Dr. Mrs. the Monarch. Given the surveillance footage we received generously from Wide Wale, Venture’s reluctance to cooperate with the Guild, and now this new information about Blue Morpho’s linkage to Dr. Jonas Venture, Dr. Venture seems like the best candidate.” You opened up a folder you had, standing up and sliding it over to Phantom Limb to look over your detailed work. 

“However, it still strikes me as strange how Dr. Venture can go from wimpy scientist by day to ruthless vigilante by night who can take out our rank 10 villains easily. I’ve ruled out any involvement of his bodyguard, Brock Sampson, due to the fact that he has spent numerous nights with a tenant who lives in a property owned by Wide Wale during the nights the Blue Morpho has struck. Which prove false the theory that Brock is disguised as Kano, doing the dirty work for the Dr. Venture.” You slid over another file, which contained surveillance tapes screenshots of Brock entering the condominium complex with time stamps.

“I’m not saying we rule out Dr. Venture… In fact, I want to keep even a closer eye on him, as the Blue Morpho seems to keep getting more and more dangerous every day. I mean for Christ’s sake, he took out an entire team of 10 super-villains in one big massive explosion. I just feel that we can’t completely ignore other suspects and only focus on Venture.” You looked around the room to see all of the Council members gaping at the evidence and back at you, aside from Dr. Mrs. the Monarch who had a proud look on her face, quite impressed.

She had only told you to focus on evidence that would point to Dr. Venture being the main culprit, but you did bring up some good points about not narrowing the search. 

“I must say, young woman… you’ve done an excellent job compiling all this information; well, I say this meeting is adjourned for now. We shall meet again in the next couple of days to go over possible other suspects. [Your Name], I want you to start doing deep reconnaissance work on the daily life of Dr. Venture. We must account for every single hour. Leave nothing untouched.” Phantom Limb stood up, walking over to you. “I’m quite impressed, my dear. Maybe you could work under me once this whole mess is over with and the Guild is restored to its former glory.”

You felt a protective hand on your shoulder, looking back to see your raven-haired boss. Her expression was less than pleased to see Phantom Limb trying to swoop in and take away her potential apprentice. “For now, she is under my training, Hamilton. Once she’s been shown the ropes, it is up to her to decide whom she wants to hench for... if she even wants to hench.” 

The purple clad villain smirked, “Now, now, Shelia, watch your temper.” His gaze turned to you, “Just keep in mind… you would be number two in my ranks. Under her and the Monarch, you’d be a measly… what… 22?” Dr. Mrs. the Monarch’s eyes narrowed and she grabbed your wrist, pulling you out with her.

“The nerve of that insufferable asshole…” The usually levelheaded woman cursed under her breath, removing her black gloves and twisting them in her hand. She had a been victim to Phantom Limb coaxing her and making empty promises of training her and claiming to make her his number two as Queen Etherea when he merely treated her like a prized object. It made her blood boil he was trying to pull the same stunt on her own freaking apprentice. 

You gently touched her shoulder and grinned, “If you think you’re going lose me to that prick, you’re wrong, Dr. Mrs. the Monarch. I’ll take the rank of 22 over number two-ing with him any day.” You sighed a breath of relief as your boss chuckled softly and gave you a thankful smile. 

“I appreciate it, [Your Name]. You’ve been such a hard-worker but also a sweetheart. You’re probably the only one keeping me sane with this whole Blue Morpho mess.” She was suddenly cut off by her circular compact phone buzzing, “Hello? Oh, hi sweetie, how are you doing? The house is completely finished? Oh that’s wonderful, I’ll be home soon. Love you too. Bye.” 

She closed the compact and looked towards you, “Duty calls. The life of being married to another villain, your work never stops even at home. Take the night off, we’ll discuss how we go about bugging the Venture building tomorrow.” Dr. Mrs. the Monarch gave you a quick hug, which surprised you, not used to receiving affection from her.

She chuckled at your expression, “Get used to it, sweetie. If you’re joining me and the Monarch, you’re basically a part of our family.” 

\--

Gary sat alone in the Blue Morpho headquarters, reclining in the chair in front of the obsolete control panel. He covered his eyes, trying to take deep breaths to slow down his heartbeat.

In the realm of arching and villainy, henchmen were second-class citizens, disposable and replaceable. There was no such thing as therapy or mental health care; you were expected to wake up, execute orders from your leader, go through grueling combat, kill and not bat an eyelash, and sleep. Rinse and repeat, day after day.

However, this constant killing had been taking a toll on the bulky henchman. Not only did he still have hallucinations of his only friend who had been dead for two years now but he was having nightmares and thoughts about killing Haranguetan and countless other villains.

Arching was essentially all one elaborate act; sharpening claws, making threats, reconnaissance work, and infiltration. Yeah, he knew he was a henchman and it was basically his job to take out enemies. But these weren’t just mindless henchman or drones – these were top ranking villains. Gary knew how taboo it was to even kill your archenemy for heaven’s sake but to kill off those under the Guild was basically a one-way ticket to hell.

His face contorted in pain, his thoughts replaying how easily he snapped Haranguetan’s neck and watched him fall into that whale-sized pit. No matter how he tried to detach himself from those thoughts or distract himself, every single time the Monarch made him put on that Kano costume, it all triggered again.

His phone rang loudly, causing Gary to flinch back and fall to the ground, scrambling backwards. He cursed to himself, breaking a sweat over a damn phone call. Ever since this whole Blue Morpho situation started, he felt like he had a walking target on his back, paranoid and hyper vigilant almost every single day. 

“Hello?” His groggy voice choked out over the phone, his heart still racing. 

“Hey, did I just wake you up from a nap, sleepy head?” You teased over the phone, back at your apartment, changing out of your Guild uniform.

Gary’s tense shoulders relaxed as he heard your soothing voice. The only thing that managed to keep him stable was talking to you and hearing your voice. You two had been so busy lately; when you had work, he was free but once you got off, he had to play dress-up with the Monarch and kill off some other villain. But you still made time for each other, calling and sending each other voice messages.

You two weren’t even together, he had to remind himself. But you two constantly checked up on each other, made each other laugh, nerded out about comics and Game of Thrones. He was okay with not putting a label on it at this point; you made each other happy and he wanted to avoid the ‘hey-I’m-a-henchman’ conversation as long as he could.

“No, no… just caught me off guard. Don’t you still have a few hours left at work?” He chuckled softly, checking the time. “Boss let me go early surprisingly… you doing anything tonight?” You asked, slipping into an oversized t-shirt for now as you lay in bed. 

Gary contemplated for a bit. The Monarch was still plotting his next move and gave him the night off. He had to take advantage of this opportunity while he could, “No, want to explore the city together, m’lady?” He teased, using the nickname he gave you the night you met. You giggled and grinned, “I would love to. Should I pick you up again?” 

He froze a bit, knowing the Monarch and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch would be home tonight. “Ummm, no, I can just take the train and meet you in the Central Park. Sound good?”

You blinked, wondering why he paused and sounded so tense, “Yeah, definitely. See you in an hour!” You hung up, grinning to yourself. 

You both needed a break from all this Blue Morpho nonsense and being in each other’s company was the best thing to distract you two.


	6. Second Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thank you for the numerous amount of support thus far and sorry about the delay - school has been overwhelming and I hit writer's block but thanks to Fuquspace I was able to crank out this chapter!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

Gary headed up to his room, changing out of his baggy gray sweatpants and his black “My leader went to the Calamity Conference and only got his best henchman this lousy t-shirt” into his plaid button-up, a black t-shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans. He got up and looked at himself in the mirror.

 

“I seriously don’t see what she sees in me sometimes…” he sighs to himself, straightening out his button-up. While he had definitely bulked up and gotten a lot stronger these past few years, Gary still felt insecure about his body. Maybe it was the years of bullying and teasing; maybe it was the fact that no one in the Horde took him seriously till he became “Two-Ton 21”

 

He quickly shrugged it off, grabbing his wallet and keys, and headed downstairs, hoping to make it out the door without the Monarch or Dr. Mrs. noticing.

 

A curse slipped out of his lips as he heard Dr. Mrs. the Monarch’s deep rumbling voice calling his name from the kitchen. He begrudgingly headed over, peeking his head in the doorway.

 

His eyes widened in surprise to see supper already set out, and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch and the Monarch sitting at table, eating together. It was an image he hadn’t seen in quite a while especially since they had moved into the Monarch’s family estate and Shelia had gotten so involved in rebuilding the Guild.

 

“21, are you going to join us for supper?” His female leader’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he realized the pair of villains was looking at him inquisitively. Gary bit his lip, unsure what to say to his leaders, “W-Well, actually, I have plans tonight.”

 

The Monarch continued to chew away at the Italian takeout his loving wife had picked up, “What plans could you possibly have tonight, 21?” Gary hesitated a bit, his cheeks flushing as he thought of you.

 

The Monarch quickly picked up on it and a shit-eating grinning spread across his face, “Lemme guess, you’re seeing that girl you met at your high school reunion... the one you’ve been using up all our minutes talking on the phone with? Don’t think I didn’t notice! You sly dog! Also… that might be coming out of your paycheck for this month, sorry, 21.” He teased his henchman.

 

Dr. Mrs raised her eyebrows inquisitively, turning around to face Gary, “What high school reunion? Are you seeing anyone, 21? I didn’t even know that… Jeez, I didn’t think I’ve been away that frequently to not know that.” She muttered more to herself before turning to the henchman, “You know Guild law states…”

 

Gary sighed and rubbed his temples, “I know, I know… If a henchman is to enter in a relationship with a civilian, he must keep the activities and identity as a henchman a secret as not to compromise his or her leader. Trust me, I’ve read that freaking handbook too many times since it’s like the only reading material you had when I was going number two in the Cocoon.”

 

The deep-voiced villainess blinked at how quickly Gary had snapped at her, “Oh… Well, as long as you know that, it’s none of my business…” Her blue eyes looked up at her henchman’s sullen expression, “But… it does seem like an archaic rule the Sovereign probably put in place in the late 50s so I’ll bring it up to the Council to repeal it.” She cleared her throat.

 

Gary’s expression lightened up a bit, hearing Dr. Mrs. say that.

 

“Well… I’m gonna head out, I’ll be back later. See ya!” Gary quickly disappeared the front door, running to the subway station to catch the train.

 

As their henchman quickly disappeared, Shelia put down her fork, staring down her husband. “How long have you know about 21 seeing this girl?”

 

The Monarch sighed, “I don’t know a few weeks… why does it matter?” He picked at his food a bit, a hand tucked underneath his chin and his expression turning grumpy.

Shelia gave him a knowing look. "A lot can happen in a few weeks. I joined the Guild after knowing Hamilton for just a few weeks and one date," She rasped. 

 

The Monarch grimaced at the mention of his wife's ex-beau. “It’s like his second date with the chick! It’s not like they’re going to elope to Vegas tomorrow and have some Elvis impersonator officiate their wedding!” He threw his fork down, raising his arms. The red-headed villain took a deep breath, calming down and looked over at his wife, “It’s harmless… plus 21 hasn’t had any thing to do around the place since we lost the Cocoon and I can’t arch Venture. We’re not his parents, let him do what he wants.”

 

The dark haired villainess sighed in exasperation, “Alright, alright… I’m sorry for doubting you… I’m just a little upset that I didn’t even know about this. God, I’m so tired of this Blue Morpho bullshit! It’s driving me a fucking wall and keeping me away from you and 21!”

 

“Aw pookums, we understand… soon it will all be over with and we can go back to our normal lives: us, 21, the Cocoon up and running, a new Horde and arching Venture…” The Monarch stood up, walking across the room to embrace his wife tightly.

 

He was going to make sure all of that came true and she would never have to know he was the Blue Morpho.

 

\--

 

You sat on a bench in Central Park, going through your agenda for tomorrow’s reconnaissance work on Dr. Venture as you waited for Gary to arrive. You decided dress up a little more tonight, wearing a loose, [color] t-shirt dress, a jean jacket and a pair of Converse.

 

Your [eye color] orbs looked up to see Gary approaching you and an excited grin spread across your face. While the conversations you had over phone and text were amazing, you had been craving physical interaction with him.

 

You quickly pocketed your phone and ran over to him, hugging him tightly. Gary quickly reacted, wrapping his bulky arms around you, and smiled down at you. It was so nice to finally see you again, especially after the stress filled weeks that he had been experiencing.

 

“So, where are you taking me? You said you had something in mind?” You asked, grabbing Gary’s hand and intertwining your fingers with his.

 

His cheeks flushed a bit at the contact, worrying if his palms were sweaty or his hands were too cold. But as you squeezed his hand tighter, his tense shoulders relaxed.

 

Honestly, he had always been awkward around girls and making the first move was always terrifying to him – however, you often took initiative into your own hands and it made him feel more at ease when you were in control of the PDA.

 

He grinned down at you, “Oh, you will not believe this place even exists. But I’m sure you’ll like it.” Gary squeezed your hand back and lead the way.

 

\--

 

“Okay… I want to know how you even found out about this place…” You gawked at the setting, seeing all the waiters dressed up at ninjas.

 

Gary laughed at the look of disbelief on your face, pleased that he picked out this place. He was on the fence between bringing you to a more traditional date setting but he knew you’d appreciate it.

 

“I will not disclose my sources but I told you it was something special.” He teased with a grin, beckoning you through the sliding doors into the booth.

 

“It really is… and I absolutely love it!” You slid inside the booth, still looking around before letting out a scream as a red-headed lanky waiter dressed as a ninja dropped down from the ceiling.

 

Due to your training under Wide Wale and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch, it was natural instinct to attack when provoked so you quickly leapt out of the booth and punched the guy through the screen doors.

 

“Holy shit!” Gary’s eyes widened at how easily you knocked the waiter onto the ground, not realizing how strong you were.

 

“S-Sorry, you scared me there!” You suddenly stuttered, rushing to help the guy up. You cursed under your breath, hoping Gary didn’t think that was too out of the ordinary.

 

“N-No, my apologies! I guess my ninja skills are more honed than I thought.” The redhead chuckled, quickly jumping to his feet.

 

You awkwardly slid back into the booth, looking down at the menu quite embarrassed and flustered. The bulky henchman noticed this and reached over to squeeze your hand, “Hey, it’s a natural reaction. I almost shit my pants the first time I came here too.” He chuckled.

 

You smiled and mouthed a ‘thank you’ before your waiter, named Jared, took your drink orders – both of you ordering the Virgin Deadly Colada just for the novelty of the rubbing throwing star.

 

“I didn’t realize you were that strong. Like I know that guy wasn’t as big as me but you sent him flying!” Gary grinned, intertwining hands with you.

 

“Sorry again, I’m just a little twitchy is all.” You chuckled nervously, still quite embarrassed.

 

“No, don’t apologize! That was badass, dude!” Gary assured you with a smile, “I bet you could take out like half the guys here!”

 

You giggled and smiled, squeezing Gary’s hand. “Thanks, I appreciate it a lot.”

 

You both got your drinks, occasionally sipping on them as you caught up on how life has been.

 

“So how are the odd jobs going? Anything interesting you’ve had to do?” You ask, playing with the rubber ninja star in between your fingers.

 

Gary visibly freezes and bites his lower lip, looking away. All the memories of killing Harangeutan came flooding back to him and his palms start to sweat, his shoulders tense.

 

You quickly notice and slowly run your thumb across his palm, “Are you okay?” You ask, the sound of your voice soothing him a little.

 

He nods and chuckles nervously, “Y-Yeah… just had to do a job I really didn’t want to do.” Your eyebrows quirked a little but you didn’t question it, wanting to be as supportive as you could. You knew he had been under a lot of stress recently, ranting to you at how unrelenting his boss was but you didn’t realize it was to this extent.

 

He visibly relaxed and squeezed your hand, his line of vision trailing a bit behind you and blinking as he saw from a distance a figure with messy blonde hair and… was he wearing Michael Jackson’s outfit from the Bad music video?

 

“What are you looking at?” You ask, peering behind your shoulder a bit. At that moment, Gary’s eyes were able to make out the face. It was Hank Venture. “O-Oh, nothing just spacing out!” he quickly stammered out, trying to get your attention.

 

Someone else beat him to it instead.

 

“[Your Name], is that you?” A female with a thick Jersey accent’s voice interrupted your thoughts and you whipped your head around. Your eyes widened as you saw who the owner of the voice was. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck! Serena, not now!’ you curse in your head.

 

The brunette approached your booth and you started to panic, your mind racing of any way to get her away. If Gary got any inkling of the life of villainy you were leading, he might never talk to you again. Thoughts of him calling you a freak and a horrible person overwhelmed you.

 

“Oh my god, it is! I haven’t seen you in forever, what are you doing in a place like this?” Serena quickly embraced you in a tight hug, which you reluctantly returned. “Those fucking ninjas scared the shit out of me!”

 

Gary glanced over at Serena, quite confused on who she was. You chuckled nervously and gestured to Gary, “I’m actually on a date, Serena.”

 

“Wait seriously? A date?” Serena looked legitimately shocked which you glared a bit at her for. “Okay, don’t give me that look, miss ‘ _married to her job’_!” She grinned.

 

Your eyes widened when she mentioned your job, fearing she’d mention her father or the Guild. Your [eye color] orbs quickly looked over to the drink at the edge of the table, and you frantically pushed the drink onto Serena, staining her pants.

 

“Oh no, I’m so sorry! I’ve just been so clumsy tonight! I’ll help you clean up.” You interrupted Serena before she could say anything and shot up from your seat. Before heading with Serena to the bathroom, you hurriedly told Gary to order the food.

 

The henchman blinked in confusion at what just unfolded in front of him but he was given little time to process his thoughts when a pair of hands slammed onto the table in front of him. His eyes quickly shot upwards to see Hank in his face, clearly wearing a full black leather outfit.

 

“Okay, dude, I am on a date so anything involving my Pops or Brock or anything like that can wait till later.” Hank warned, pointing his finger in Gary’s face.

 

Gary rolled his eyes, sighing, as he knew Hank was still a bit bitter about him going back to the Monarch. “Listen Hank, I’m not here on Monarch business. Hell, if you haven’t noticed, we aren’t even arching your dear old dad anymore. I’m here for the same reason you are – I’m on a date too.”

 

The blonde shaggy-haired teen looked at Gary incredulously and Gary sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He did not have time to deal with this especially since you could come back in a matter of seconds.

 

“Look Hank, I promise you I am not doing reconnaissance on you tonight, okay? Scouts honor.” Gary put three finger fingers up. Hank sighed and uncrossed his arms, “Okay, I believe you. But I got my eye on you.” He slowly walked back to his table, his eyes glued to Gary the entire time.

 

Gary let out a sigh of relief and checked the time on his phone. It was getting late and he knew you had work early the next day. An idea quickly popped up in his head and he hastily ordered the food to go.

 

\--

 

“Damn… So he doesn’t know anything about daddy or the Guild… Nothin?” Serena asked, sitting on the counter of the bathroom sinks, trying to dry up her pants.

 

“Nope, nothing. I really want to keep it that way, Serena. He’s sweet… and you know for a fact that I have not had the best luck in finding a sweet guy.” You grinned at the brunette teen.

 

“But I need normalcy in my life… I need something stable. He keeps me stable and sane cause I would be going nuts with this whole Blue Morpho shit.” You rolled your eyes at the thought of it, “I like him… a lot. And I know he won’t hurt me.”

 

Serena grinned, “Damn, never thought I’d hear any of this from you. I get it though. The blonde guy in the all leather get-up – that’s my date. He’s a total dork… but he’s all right. I’ve done more with him in these last couple days than I have my entire life with daddy and Rocco breathing down my neck.”

 

You rolled your eyes, remembering how you used to sneak Serena out constantly for her just to go to the mall without having a dude dressed up like a whale lice following her around. “How is Rocco, by the way?” you asked.

 

“He’s doing good… he’s been super protective over me since you left though.” Serena sighed, twirling a stray piece of her hair. You shook her head at the thought but gave an encouraging smile to Serena, “I’ll talk to him about it. Now, let’s get out of here before both of our dates start wondering where we went.”

 

\--

You blinked as Gary was waiting in front of the restaurant, carrying a bag of takeout in his hand. “Why did you get it to go?”

 

“Well, I know you have work early morning and I wanted to spend more time with you… So I got it to go and figured we could go to your place, watch some Game of Thrones while we eat?” Gary suggested with a smile.

 

Your lips formed into a bright grin and you quickly took Gary’s hand, leading him down the alleyway, “I love the way you think. I’ll lead the way.”

 

You walked down the dark and dreary alleyway into the neon lit sidewalks of the city, heading towards the subway station. The entire ride to your apartment, you and Gary’s hands were intertwined tightly.

 

Getting off at a stop a few blocks away from your apartment, you walked ahead of the brunette henchman. His eyes trailed up and down your body, hypnotized by the way your hips swayed with each step you took. He bit his lip, trying to suppress any inappropriate thoughts.

 

You two walked a few blocks and you took the elevator up to your condo on the 7th floor, unlocking the door.

 

“Make yourself at home, I’m gonna go change into something more comfortable.” You say as you hold the door open for Gary. He walked inside, admiring the spacious but modest space.

 

You disappeared into your bedroom and Gary walked around your place, shocked at how you could afford a place with such nice utilities and a big space with a secretary office job. He settled down on your black couch in the living room, setting up the food on the coffee table in front of him.

 

Stuffing your Guild uniform in the closet, you changed into an oversized sweater and a pair of yoga shorts. You stepped into the living room to see Gary admiring your collection of comic books lined along the walls.

 

He quickly redirects his attention to you and gulps when he sees your legs and thighs exposed. “You look great.” He stutters out and you giggle.

 

“Thank you, liking the comic book collection? There’s more in my closet but I decided to frame my favorite series and editions.” You take a seat next to him, licking your lips at the delicious food in front of you.

 

Gary noticed your hunger and chuckled, “Go ahead, dig in.” You quickly pick up the chopsticks and a take-out box full of noodles, opening it up and eating greedily out of the container.

 

The red-headed male followed in suit, eagerly eating a container full of beef fried rice. You giggled as Gary got grains of rice on his stuble and you reach to wipe some of it off.

 

You reach for the remote and turn on the TV, going to your recordings but not before looking over at Gary. “You’re caught up on Game of Thrones, right?” He had a mouthful of rice so he eagerly nodded.

 

“Hell yeah, that means I can watch the new episode!” You grin excitedly, snuggling up to the bulky male as you scrolled through your recordings and selected the most recent episode of GoT. Gary blushed, feeling you pressed up against him but slowly relaxed, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and bringing you closer into his chest.

 

You smiled, snuggling into the warmth of his broad chest. Gary was quite amused at all your reactions to the drama that often ensued in the series, watching you throw your arms up in frustration or yell at the TV. He was half-watching but most of the time he was simply gazing down at you, stroking the small of your back.

 

He had already watched the episode so he was roaring with laughter as he saw your reaction to the major character death at the end of the episode. “What the hell?! No!” You exclaimed in frustration, shooting up from your seat, “There are too many unexplained questions left!”

 

“Hey, hey, calm down – there’s like a 75% chance they’ll come back.” Gary chuckled, grabbing your wrist, trying to pull you back onto the couch. He tugged a bit too hard, causing you to topple on top of the henchman. “S-Shit are you okay?” he cursed, his face flushing at the position you were in.

 

You were straddled on top of Gary, your legs on the opposite sides of his thighs. Your chest was pressed tightly against his and your noses were touching, your breaths intermingling.

 

Gary bit his lip, his large hands resting on your hips as he eagerly swooped in, capturing your lips in a kiss. Your eyes widened quickly before slowly closing, wrapping your arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

 

His warm hands slid up the back of your sweater, massaging circles on the small of your back. You let out a soft moan of approval against his lips, breaking this kiss to gasp for air. Gary looked up at you, looking for your approval to move forward.

 

You nodded, kissing him deeply, and he grinned, hoisting you up and wrapping your legs around his waist as he carried you the bedroom, not breaking your passionate kiss.

 

Gently placing you down, he kissed your lips softly and chastely before pulling away. You look at him in confusion, biting your lip as you feel like you’re being rejected. Gary quickly notices this and shakes his head, “No, no it’s not that.”

 

He takes a seat beside you on the bed and squeezes your hand, “As much as I want to move further… I want to take this slow. I know you’re a busy woman… and you’re focused on your career. I still want to be with you and go on dates… but we don’t have to move further and we don’t have to put a label on it.” He admitted.

 

You let out a sigh of relief and smile at Gary, “Thanks for being honest with me. I know you’re busy too and life gets hectic and stressful. Maybe holding off and not putting a label on it for now makes our lives a lot happier and less complicated.” You squeezed hand in a similar fashion as he did, “But I would love for you to spend the night.”

 

Gary’s lips form a huge smile and he nods, “I would love to, m’lady.”

 

He removed his button-up plaid shirt and jeans hesitantly, only wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of Star Wars boxers. Still self-conscious about his body, he tensed as you giggled but you quickly reassured him, “It’s the boxers.”

 

He looked down at his Darth Vader boxers and chuckled, “Honestly, I forgot I wore these. Okay, you need rest – you’re the one who has work early.” You nodded, slipping underneath the sheets. Gary followed in suit and wrapped his arms around you tightly, nuzzling the top of your head.

 

As you drifted to sleep quite quickly, Gary gazed up at the ceiling, unable to sleep due to the stress and trauma from his PTSD. Looking down at your sleeping form, he sighed and thought to himself,

 

_‘I have to tell her the truth soon or I might lose her for good.’_


End file.
